Sweden
Visited
At a glance
- Region
- Northern Europe
- Capital
- Stockholm
- Population
- 10.6 million (2025)
- Area
- 450,295 km²
- Languages
- Swedish
- Currency
- Swedish krona (SEK)
- Drives on the
- right
- Calling code
- +46
Country visited City visited Still to go Click a pin or country to read more. Zoom with + and −, a double-click or a pinch.
Before you go
Overview
The Kingdom of Sweden is a Nordic country located in Northern Europe. It is Europe’s fifth-largest country by area.
The country recorded a population of 10.23 million in 2019 and covers an area of 450,295 km2.
Its capital and largest city is Stockholm. It is built on 14 islands with over 50 bridges.
Other major cities are Gothenburg,Malmo, Helsingborg and Uppsala.
Christmas market in the capital, Stockholm.
History
During the First and Second World War, Sweden was neutral.
It founded the European Free Trade Association in 1959.
It joined the European Union in 1994.
Food & culture
Its culture is characterized by its belief in equality and humility. They tend to listen more and speak less.
The crops grown in Sweden are cereals, vegetables, fruits, root crops and sugar beet.
The popular dishes include meatballs, kanelbulle, filmjolk, oat milk latte, herring, toast skagen and foraged berries.
Wildlife
Common wildlife animals living here are deer, reindeer, lynx, Arctic fox, wolf, bear, moose and wolverine.
Festivals & events
The main celebrated events include the Peace and Love Festival, Kivik Apple Market Festival, Summerburst Festival, Gothenburg Culture Festival, Walpurgisnacht Festival and Stockholm Early Music Festival.
Things to see
There is the Vasa Museum, which is a marine museum in Stockholm which showcases a fully solid 17th-century ship that has never been rescued and 64-gun warship Vasa that drowned on her maiden voyage back in 1628.
There is also the Drottningholm Palace, which is the residence of the royal family in Sweden.
There is also the Oresund Bridge, which is a combination of railway and motorway crossing the Oresund strait connecting Sweden to Denmark.
Other must-visit places are Gamla Stan Old Town, Storkyrkan Cathedral, Kungliga Slottet Royal Palace, Nobel Museum and Abba Museum.
Interesting facts
More than half of the land the country is covered by forest.
The official language is Swedish.
Majority of the people attend the Church of Sweden.
City guides
- StockholmCapital city
- GothenburgSweden's friendly west-coast harbour city
- MalmöSweden's southern city across from Copenhagen
Cities & towns I’ve visited
Run a marathon in Sweden
Stockholm Marathon
Stockholm · usually June
Starts by the 1912 Olympic Stadium and loops over bridges and islands, finishing inside the stadium.
Dates move from year to year, so check the race website before you book.
Races I've run in Sweden
- Oct 2016 Toughest · Gothenburg, Sweden 1:56:53
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sweden
0 of 15 visited. See every site I've been to.
- Birka and Hovgården 1993
- Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland 2012
- Drottningholm Palace 1991
- Engelsberg Ironworks 1993
- Falun Mine 2001
- Gammelstad Church Town 1996
- Grimeton VLF transmitter 2004
- Hanseatic town of Visby 1995
- High Coast/Kvarken Archipelago 2000
- Laponian National Park 1996
- Naval City of Karlskrona 1998
- Rock Carvings in Tanum 1994
- Skogskyrkogården 1994
- Southern Öland cultural landscape 2000
- Struve Geodetic Arc 2005
My photos from Sweden
From 2 trips, newest first, so you can see which places each set of photos came from.
October 2016 Stockholm
Whole trip gallery
June 2011 Stockholm
Whole trip gallery
Plan your trip to Sweden
- HotelsBooking.com
- Tours and ticketsGetYourGuide
- FlightsKiwi.com
- Attraction ticketsTiqets
- Airport parking, lounges and transfersHoliday Extras
- Car hireAuto Europe
- Mobile data (eSIM)AiraloCode DAN9406 for money off
- GuidebooksAmazon
Some of these are affiliate links: if you book through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More about this.
